National Campaign for Safe RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratios

Welcome to our nationwide safe patient ratios campaign to ensure safe staffing for RNs and patients across the country. We all deserve the best care possible. California’s historic first-in-the-nation safe staffing ratios, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, took 13 years to win and have been in effect since January 2004 despite continued efforts of the hospital industry to overturn the law. Safe RN ratios have been proven to improve the quality of care and nurse recruitment and retention in California hospitals.

We have two national safe patient ratio bills, one in the Senate S. 1063 (Brown) and the House HR 2392 (Schakowsky).

The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act (S.1063)(Brown) This bill establishes requirements for acute-care facilities to provide registered nurse staff based on the acuity of patients provided that minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for each unit are met at all times. Registered nurses shall also have the obligation to act in the exclusive interest of their patients, and the right to be patient advocates.

The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act (H.R.2392) (Schakowsky) Nurses are increasingly put into impossible situations by hospital managers who demand they care for more patients than is safe. There is a proven method to save patient lives and save hospital money — mandated minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. In Congress, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced her Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act to improve patient quality of care by establishing a requirement for nurse-to-patient ratios that put patient safety first.

RNs nationwide are actively working with NNU to win their own mandated direct-care RN-to-patient staffing ratios. RNs in other nations have also been fighting to improve conditions for their patients. Studies show that staffing ratios save lives, yet understaffing is a major issue RNs struggle with every day. Together, we can change that. JOIN OUR RATIOS COALITION HERE!

Safe staffing saves lives! That’s why nurses applaud the intro of bills in the Senate by Sen. Sherrod Brown (S.1063) and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (H.R.2392)—sponsored by NNU—that set safety limits on the # of patients each RN can care for in hospitals throughout the U.S.

The bills are modeled on California’s nurse-to-patient ratios law, fought for and won by the California Nurses Association/NNU. We will never stop fighting for our patients.

TAKE ACTION to pass federal and state ratios legislation:

This bill establishes requirements for acute-care facilities to provide registered nurse staff based on the acuity of patients provided that minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for each unit are met at all times. Registered nurses shall also have the obligation to act in the exclusive interest of their patients, and the right to be patient advocates.

Nurses are increasingly put into impossible situations by hospital managers who demand they care for more patients than is safe. There is a proven method to save patient lives and save hospital money — mandated minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. In Congress, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced her The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act to improve patient quality of care by establishing a requirement for nurse-to-patient ratios that put patient safety first.

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National Nurses United and the Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN) work to send nurses to disaster stricken areas both inside the U.S. and internationally. Please visit the secure donation form and share it with friends to ensure that RNs are there to help when needed most.